I live with and raise orchids. Each one has a duel nature: both a creature from its own exotic world and a reflection of our sensual or spiritual nature. Each one asks to be photographed in its own way. I merely listen and follow the instruction of each.

In order to convey the special world of the orchid to you, I use a 4 x 5 Deardorff with a long lens and long bellows. I subject each negative to the solarization technique (made famous by Man Ray) in order to create the atmosphere or environment in which each orchid lives its unique existence. Each negative is printed in a straightforward way on silver gelatin paper and toned with selenium.

Biography:

Frazier King was born in Virginia and now lives and works in Houston, Texas. He is mostly self taught but has attended classes and workshops sponsored by the Southwest School of Art and Crafts in San Antonio, Texas, and other institutions. His most recent work (“Orchidaceae”) explores the nature of the orchid and enquires whether we may see sensual or spiritual reflections of ourselves. This work has been shown in numerous exhibitions throughout the United States as well as in Mexico, Canada, Peru and France. Solo shows have been at Kilgore College, Kilgore, Texas; Fotofest 2002 in Houston, TX; Galeria De Arte Fotografica in San Miguel, Mexico; and at Honeysuckle Gallery in Fayetteville, Texas. A second body of work is an examination of whether each of our collections of personal objects, when photographed tableau, reflects an interior landscape. Finally, work done while traveling in Mexico looks for poetic reflections of the basics of daily life. The two bodies of earlier work have been shown in numerous exhibitions since 1994.